The 13 Doctors
by HiBob
Summary: My first attempt at Doctor Who. It's more of an outline of what could have been a really good story.
1. Encounter

Authors Note: This is a new effort for me. This is the first story I've ever posted that is not HP related. Please let me know how I did. I made it a point to write the entire story before I started posting. I also edited it. (It's only seven chapters.) It is not a long story but hopefully a good one.

**Chapter One: Encounter**

"Where are you off to, Jackie?"

She was fifteen, tall for her age, with long brown hair tied back with a white ribbon. She wore a full length white skirt and a blouse that closely resembled the standard issue shirt of the Royal Navy. Her adversary was a boy, perhaps a year older, near her height. He wore a nondescript brown jacket and trousers the same colour. He had ginger hair cut short in the style of the day, and a satchel. And he bristled when the girl called him 'Jackie'.

"Jonathan," He corrected her.

The girl laughed as she followed him down the London street. She began talking to an imaginary person. "Good afternoon, Sir. I'm Sarah Smith. And that doleful boy is Jackie Smith. No relation I'm proud to say." She laughed again and quickened her step to catch up with him. "Must you always be so serious? I don't think I've ever seen you smile."

He stopped as she came abreast of him. "And what is there to smile about . . . when you're around?"

Another laugh. "Because I'm around, silly. No one else could ever be bothered." She tried to look serious. "That's why I'm your only friend." She paused. "At least the closest you've got." She grabbed his hand to make him keep walking. "It's only because Mother put you up, so you have to put up with me. Better than wherever it was they planned for you."

She frowned as he pulled his hand free and began to walk faster.

"I am sorry, Jackie. It's not your fault. And I do like you. I mean, I would like you if you weren't always so mopey. And a know-it-all on top of that." She stopped when he stopped. "It's true. You're always trying to find an explanation for everything." She smirked when he glared at her. "It's true as true. I know you're smart. Everyone does. But do you have to go on all the time about how this does that or the other thing? And look at you. It's the summer holiday and you still have that case with whatever inside."

She laughed at his almost frightened look. A look mixed with curiosity. "What is it? I've never seen you scared of anything? That scared." She started to laugh but his look stopped her. "Jackie?"

"Don't you see it?"

His frown made her nervous but she hid it best she could.

"See what?"

"That?" He pointed to the side of the building.

"That what?"

"The police box."

As he said that, her eyes focused on the large blue box that sat there. It had a light on top and the words, 'police box' on the trim above the doors.

"What about it?"

"It shouldn't be there."

"The police probably put it there. I'm sure they had a good reason." She smirked. "You're doing it again. Why does it matter?" She swished her skirt as she turned to continue walking. "After all, there is a war on. I'd worry more about the Huns than about the police."

"It has a light. And there are no wires leading to it. Don't you think that's strange?"

Sarah stopped again and turned around. Her tone was serious. "No. I don't. But you want an explanation. It probably has a battery. You may have heard about them?"

"And why use a battery when they could just hook up a wire?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Why do you, Jackie?" She ignored his look. She was now angry. "It's only a box. It belongs to the police. It isn't my business and it isn't yours." She huffed at him when he returned her frown. "If you have to know, then run down the way and ask a constable. I'm sure he would love to waste his time telling you it's none of your business."

Jonathan continued frowning. "You're not curious in the least?"

"NO." She stopped and took a deep breath. It was not like her to raise her voice. She repeated softly, "No, Jackie, I'm not. I'm more concerned with getting home on time. There's supposed to be an important speech."

"Just Asquith saying how great the war is going but we need to put more effort in whatever we're doing."

"The war will be over by the end of summer," Sarah said smugly. "Father predicted it in his last letter to me. And the morning papers announced a great assault." She was smiling again and pulled his hand to get him to move. "We need to be going." She saw him eyeing the box again. "It'll be there in the morning. I promise. I'll even come with you if you like. We can look at it all you want."

Sarah smiled as Jonathan reluctantly began walking. She knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew everything about the box, including why they picked that particular spot to place it. She didn't care. The war was going to be over as soon. The British Army were crossing the Somme. They would take the war to Germany before the month was out. Best of all, Father would come home.

They had taken no more than three steps when the sky grew dark. This time, Sarah was the first to stop. "Jackie? Where did those clouds come from? I'd swear the sky was clear only a moment ago."

"The sky was clear," He agreed. "Look ahead."

Sarah looked down the lane. The sky was still bright in the distance. She was at a loss to describe what she was seeing. The sky wasn't getting cloudy. The best she could explain, it was as if a theatre curtain was coming down. Her concern increased as she saw no one except for two figures, fancifully dressed, walking up the street toward them.

"There should be more people about." Sarah was beginning to panic as a wind began blowing. "What happened to everyone?"

"Asquith," came the reply. "They're all inside, listening to him tell about the great victory."

"That couple," Sarah noted, "they're running to us." She corrected herself. Not toward her. They were going to run past her. "No, Not us. They're going . . ."

". . . to the police box," Jonathan finished.

"You don't have to . . ." That was all she could say. The next moment, as the strange couple neared, a gust of wind caught her, knocking her to the ground. Somehow she landed on something soft. She heard Jonathan ask her, from underneath, if she was hurt. Before she could reply, someone was helping her up. A woman. He hair was being whipped around from the strange wind.

"DOCTOR?" The woman called out.

"SARAH JANE," came the reply from the man.

Before Sarah could react, the fancy dressed man was pulling Jonathan up and dragging almost forcing him forward. Sarah let the woman lead her. They were going into the blue box. Then Sarah corrected herself. It wasn't a box. It was a doorway. She could see the large room inside it.

Her first thought was how curious it all was. To set up a doorway and cover it with the police box. And there was the strange machine that the fancy man was going on about, running from side to side to look at a gauge or something. Every time he stopped he would mutter something about impossible or it can't be.

The woman was looking at them, though. She was asking if they were hurt. Satisfied there were no injuries, she turned to the man, asking, "Doctor, what was that all about?"

"I have no idea. I know something attacked us and now the Tardis is telling me we've taken off. I have no idea where we're going."

"The Time Lords?"

The man gave her a peevish look "I don't know. We'll have to wait until we arrive." He turned around and smiled. "Are the children fine?" He smiled at Sarah and Jonathan. "Of course you are. And thank you."

"For what?" Sarah asked.

"For not becoming hysterical. It's very annoying and also quite common among children your age. This is a rather unusual situation . . . um . . . I think introductions are in order."

He nodded to the woman who smiled. She held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Sarah Jane Smith."

That brought a smile to the girl's face as she took the proffered hand. "I'm Sarah Smith, without the Jane. And this is Ja . . ." She paused when she looked over. He seemed so serious, now. This wasn't a time to tease. "This is Jonathan Smith. No relation I'm afraid."

Jonathan gave her a bemused look. The result was that she now had a wide grin.

Sarah Jane pointed to the fancy man. "And this is the Doctor."

He smiled. "I'm very pleased to meet both of you."

"Doctor . . . who?" Jonathan asked in a low tone. It was curiosity and fear, again, in his voice.

"Just the Doctor. Although, and this should amuse you, I sometimes go by the name of John Smith."

Sarah Jane gave a light laugh. "John and Sarah. Sarah and John. It must be, what's that Indian word, karma."

The Doctor smiled. "I would have said kismet, but it's the same thing." He gave Sarah Jane a knowing look before turning back to his two new guests. "I want to assure you that you're in no danger. While I don't know our exact destination, neither of you have any cause to worry."

Sarah laughed as she asked, "Destination? I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Except home." She turned to the door. "I don't hear the wind, anymore. Do you mind if I see if it has let up?"

"There's nothing out there," the Doctor told her. She frowned as he walked past her and opened the door. She and Jonathan both looked out. There was only black. Not the black of night. The complete absence of any light. The Doctor closed the door, saying an explanation was in order.

"This is the Tardis. T.A.R.D.I.S. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space."

"But this room . . ." Sarah began to say.

Jonathan finished her sentence in a way she didn't expect. " . . . is inside the police box."

"Very good, Jon," the Doctor said, giving him a broad smile.

"That can't be," Sarah insisted. "The box is only a doorway. This room is in the building behind it." It irked her when she looked at Jonathan, who was also smiling. "And why are you grinning, Jackie?"

His smile didn't fade. "The butcher's shop is in the building behind it. Remember? All we have to do is go back outside and walk around the corner."

"Except we can't," the doctor said. "Not for a while, anyway."

Sarah couldn't understand. "But this room is too big to be inside the box."

Sarah Jane put a hand on her shoulder. "The Tardis is bigger on the inside."

"But that's impossible. It can't be."

"This is a time machine, Sarah," Jonathan told her. His fear had disappeared to be replaced by excitement. "As in the H.G. Wells novel. They must have found a way to do it in the future."

"The past, actually," the Doctor said, "on another world. The Tardis also travels through space as well."

Sarah started to panic until Sarah Jane suggested tea. That made her stare. It seemed so normal. When she said there would be scones as well, Sarah was surprised. She had to ask, "In a time machine?"

Sarah Jane knew what she was doing. Her next words banished Sarah's fears completely. "It doesn't matter what time it is, everyone has to eat. As for trying to understand all of this, I just go along with it. The Doctor presses a few buttons, throws a switch. When we open the door it's someplace else. Sometimes it's familiar. Sometimes it's strange. But it's always interesting."

"Strange?" Sarah asked. Now she was curious.

"Dinosaurs in London, oh, sixty years from when we met you. They explained it away by saying it was mass hallucination."

"And people believed it?" she asked doubtfully.

The Doctor answered, "As a rule, Humans are always eager to ignore anything they can't understand."

"Such as police boxes," Sarah admitted. She turned to Jonathan, "That makes you the one the proofs the rule."

Jonathan smirked. "That almost sounds like a compliment."

All conversation ended as the Tardis began to make a whooshing noise. The Doctor gave a smile of expectation. "It seems we're landing."


	2. A Strange Place

A/N: for those of you who care, I edited the author's note in chapter one. It was too wordy. I should also edit this one as it is completely unnecessary.

**Chapter Two: A Strange Place**

"We should have stayed and had the tea," Sarah complained as she walked down the boring grey corridor. Jonathan, her companion, smirked.

"And miss out on the big adventure?"

"We could have stayed together."

"The main corridor goes two ways." Jonathan smiled. An understanding smile. "You agreed because Sarah Jane suggested it. If it were the Doctor, you would have asked to stay with them."

Sarah started to say something mean but his look stopped her. "It's . . . just . . ."

"It's called confidence. She knows what she is capable of."

"It's more than that." She tried to find the words. "She's a suffragette. No . . . it's that she's not afraid to be a woman."

Sarah stopped. She had said that last sentence with pride and longing. And she knew her companion was aware of it. Almost afraid, she turned to face him. She found him smiling.

"That's why I liked her at once, Sarah. She even took the time to change into trousers because it was more comfortable." He had a gleam in his eye. "You should have accepted her offer to change as well."

"I . . ." She stopped short as she realized Jackie was teasing her. She didn't like it. The counter-thought came that it was always fun to tease him. She tried to say something. "I've never done that before, Jack. Wear trousers."

Jack looked at her. She couldn't understand why. Of a sudden, it came to her. It was because of what she said. And what she was thinking. In one moment, he went from Jackie to Jack. In both word and thought. And he noticed. His look now spoke volumes but the easiest way to describe it was a mixture of 'what you did was wonderful' and 'it's about time'.

"Corridor's bending again. No side corridor here, either." Jack rubbed his hand along the flat wall which was where the corridor to the Tardis would be, at their bend. "Odd, don't you think. There should be a new corridor soon or this structure won't make any sense."

"No, it means it won't be sym-metrical."

"Sarah, this is an artificial construct."

"You're very good at repeating the Doctor's words."

"And understanding them. This is an enclosed structure. Like the floor of your house. You have hallways and rooms and closets. All of them fit the framework of the house. This place should have a framework. From what we've seen so far, it's circular in construction. The round room we landed in, and the corridor leading from it, make me think of a wheel. Except there don't seem to be any more spokes."

They continued walking. Sarah was now thinking about all sorts of things. One caused her to comment. "You're enjoying this."

"Nonsense."

"You are, Jackie. Sorry . . . Jack. And don't smirk at me. If you wanted me to stop teasing you then you should have done the same to me before now." This time they shared a smirk. "And you are enjoying this. Only the two of us here, wherever here is, so you have your own private audience to show off for. And you know I'll listen because I don't understand."

Jack finished her sentence. "And you hate that." He paused to smile. "So do I."

She pointed. "And you have your wish."

At the next bend was a corridor leading inward. After a short conversation, it was agreed that Jack would go alone. He insisted once she suggested joking/fearfully that a door could slide out of the wall and close them in. Jack said it was a good thought, and possible. If it did happen, she should run back to the Tardis. She promised she would bang on the door a few dozen times, first.

Sarah watched as Jack walked away. She could see him touching a wall, probably looking for the doorknob or whatever they used. She almost laughed when he turned around and gave her a shrug. That was when she heard the sound.

"JACK."

It was an instinctive reaction. The sound she had heard was a word. Hello. After her scream, it was followed by other words. An apology. And all she could do was stand there with her hands pressed together over her mouth and nose and look at the speaker. He was perhaps a year or two older than her. He was tall, an aquiline face, dark hair. Dressed in a black suit with a blue shirt and dark tie. A more youthful Douglas Fairbanks than in the cinema last May.

"Sarah?" Jack asked as he ran up. He turned to the stranger, angry. "What did you do?"

"I said Hello. Sorry. She was so concerned watching you, she didn't hear me."

"I'm fine," Sarah said, hurriedly. "He surprised me. That was all." She then asked if his name was Douglas.

"Luke. Luke Smith."

"Sarah Smith. It's a pleasure to meet you, Doug, um, Luke." She accepted his hand and shook it.

Someone next to her said, "Excuse me."

"Oh, that's . . . Jack," Sarah said casually. "He's not related to me or anything."

"Do you normally shake hands this long?" Luke asked.

"Only when she infatuated," Jack offered.

Sarah pulled her hand away and began to blush. That was exactly how she was acting. To make matters worse, Jack was telling him how they were in London an hour ago and all of this was a surprise. To ice the cake, the new boy admitted the same was true for him then explained that her reaction to his presence was more due to psychological relief than physical attraction as shown by her emphasis about not being related.

"No," Jonathan countered, "that was because we have the same last name. She likes you because you look like Douglas Fairbanks. From the cinema." His look said he wanted her to confirm his guess.

"Really?" Luke seemed surprised. "I don't have a mustache, for one."

Sarah stopped blushing. Hearing something strange causes that to happen. "Douglas Fairbanks does not have a mustache. And he couldn't be much younger. It was only his second film." She frowned when Jonathan smiled. "What?"

"Sarah, he said he was in London before he came here, the same as us. Remember what Tardis means?"

"You came in a Tardis?" Luke asked, suddenly excited.

"With a man called the Doctor," Jonathan told him.

Luke frowned. "That's impossible."

"He's telling the truth," Sarah insisted. "Why would that be impossible?"

"Because that's how I came here? With the Doctor. Not that he meant to take me along but . . . things happened."

"The same with us," Sarah admitted.

"An induced magnetic flux?"

Sarah looked confused but Jonathan flashed her a grin and said the answer was probably yes. She returned his grin and said that it forced them into the Tardis along with the Doctor and Sarah Jane. Their grins faded as Luke took an involuntary step backward. When they answered his next question with a yes, he uttered again that it was impossible. They had to ask why.

"Sarah Jane Smith was my mother."

Sarah's heart skipped a beat. "Was?"

Sorrow filled Luke's face. She thought it only made him more dashing.

"That was why the Doctor came. It was for her funeral. The Doctor was telling us she had a full life, fuller than most. It was up to us to make her proud."

"We'll introduce you to her, Luke," Jack was saying cheerfully. "Let her know what the future has in store." He was still smiling when he said that the Sarah Jane they knew was barely ten years older than him and she clearly had no husband. That caught Luke's interest and brought a smile back to his face.

Luke suggested they return to the Doctor. Once they shared information they agreed it should be his Doctor as he was investigating the next hub. There was a Tardis there. Luke would have followed except he had seen Sarah.

Sarah laughed as Jack seemed nervous again. She joked that they must have come full circle. Luke told her no.

"I examined the bend in the corridor and estimated it to be almost 26 degrees. If the construct is circular then it has fourteen sides. I shouldn't have said circular. I should have said it appears to be tetrakaidecagonal."

Sarah groaned. "You wouldn't be a genius by any chance."

"Not by chance," Luke answered, adding cheerfully, "I could explain if you like."

Sarah wasn't sure of how to answer. She decided it would be easier to suggest a later time. Perhaps they should rejoin the Doctor.

* * *

><p>"Oy, you look like you just came from a funeral."<p>

Sarah looked in surprise. The comment came from a girl wearing a leather jacket. Behind her were two gentlemen and a bushy haired woman.

"I did," Luke answered coldly.

"Did it again," the girl said angrily to herself. "Doctor tries to teach me to think before I speak. Look, do me a favour. Forget what I just said. My name's Ace." She held out her hand. After a pause, she added, "please."

Introductions began again. The woman was River but both men introduced themselves as the Doctor. Sarah was now even more confused. "But I was brought here by the Doctor?"

The man with the umbrella, nodded. "That would be me."

"But . . . you don't look like my Doctor."

This time the man with the bow tie smiled. "No, I don't."

Luke and Ace snorted. The woman, River, gave him a scathing look, then said in a scolding voice, "she doesn't know. Just tell her." She turned away from him and looked at Sarah. "This is where it gets complicated."

"That's your mother's line," the Doctor with the bow tie said.

Still looking at Sarah, she said, sotto voce, "Oh, how I hate that man." River then smiled. "The Doctor isn't human. When he dies, he doesn't die. He literally becomes a new man. It's called regeneration." She smiled as she nodded behind her. "Mine's number eleven. That means he's already regenerated ten times."

The Doctor with the umbrella smiled. "That would make me number seven. I hope that explains things."

"I think I can help," Luke offered. "Mum told me about her time with the Doctor. He would have been the fourth." He paused. "Wait, did he have curly hair and a long scarf?" He smiled when Sarah shook her head. "Yours is the third Doctor. Mum must have met him before he changed."

"A bit of a dandy." The Seventh Doctor said.

"He wore a bow tie," the Eleventh Doctor said as he adjusted his own. "Bow ties are cool."

"Still," Seven said, "if this is true, then all thirteen of us will be arriving. I think it's the first time I've been in one place all at the same time."

"More important," Eleven said. "If all of us are coming. And we appear to be landing in order. Space if not time. That means we are on the exact opposite side of where we need to be."

Sarah let out a sigh and turned to Jack. "At least it will give me time to sort all this out."


	3. More People

A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for the reviews. And thanks to all of you who are reading.

**Chapter Three: More People**

Sarah was listening to the two Doctors talk as she trailed behind them. They were comparing interiors. The Seventh Doctor was explaining that the swimming pool did not end up in the library. It was the exact opposite. He slipped into the Library of Alexandria shortly before its demise. To make room, he put shelves on the walls and moved the light fiction there. "I had only recently put the pool back in."

Luke had to ask if it was true. Did he save the content of the Library? The Doctor shook his head. "There's only so much you can do with a temporal warp during an earthquake. And I moved the books because I needed the room for the people."

The Eleventh Doctor smiled. "Two dozen people. Much more value in people than in old pieces of paper."

"Didn't care for all that shaking about," Ace admitted.

Sarah looked at Jack for an explanation. He told her she should ask Luke. She told him she wanted an explanation she could understand.

"Fair enough. You do understand that the Tardis can go anywhere in Time. Luke is from almost a hundred years in the future. I won't even guess at the others."

"I know that."

"Do you understand that it can go to any place?"

Sarah nodded. "Any time and any place."

River interrupted. "Don't try thinking about it. I've been doing this all my life and it still gives me a headache. Just accept it. See him?" She indicated the Eleventh Doctor. "We have a wonderful relationship except for one thing. We always meet in the wrong order."

"Are you married?" Sarah asked, "Or am I being too forward."

River laughed. "Too forward? That's impossible around the Doctor. As for being married? It's complicated. Remember? We meet in the wrong order."

Sarah was unsure of what to say. Jack helped her out by being blunt.

"She wants to make sure it's a proper relationship."

"With the Doctor?" River was laughing again. Sarah, covering her face to hide her embarrassment over Jack's remark, noticed the Doctors frowning at River. The Seventh Doctor said something and both men smiled.

They had turned past another bend with a blank wall when Ace spoke up. "Ahead, there. Is he one of you?"

"After my time, if he is," the Seventh Doctor admitted. "He should be your predecessor."

Sarah peered through those in front to see a man and woman. They looked to be talking rapidly to each other based on the gestures and pointing.

Jack nudged her. "He must be another Doctor. He was pointing at the one with the umbrella."

River commented that the woman had clearly pointed at her. That meant she would know the Doctor in his next/previous regeneration. Sarah couldn't control herself. She had to laugh. It was helped by River joining in.

There was another pause as introductions and explanations were made. When River asked, the new woman and the new Doctor insisted they were only friends. The new Doctor said they were looking for the Earth when the Tardis made a detour.

Sarah also learned how complicated time travel could be. The Tenth Doctor, who had messy brown hair and a toothy smile that made you like him, met River but had never met Luke. Luke met the Doctor but never met River. River, however, revealed that she had met Luke (at a later point in his life).

"I've decided," Sarah said to Jack, "I'm in a dream. And I don't want to wake up until breakfast. I've heard talk about time travel but I never thought about how funny the problems could be." She grabbed his arm. "I like you in this dream, too."

"And why, may I ask?"

She didn't intend it, but her tone became thoughtful. "You're always afraid. Not scared or frightened but . . . it's as though you're worried." She squeezed his hand. "Here, you're . . . yourself." She laughed as she admitted she was making no sense. Her mood was helped when Jack told her they were in the perfect place for that.

They had stopped walking. Jack was smiling at her. A comfortable smile. That was the difference with him. Somehow, the world turned topsy turvy on them. He wasn't the lone outsider. Here, everyone was an outsider. Everyone was equal. If Douglas Fairbanks had a round face and short ginger hair, she thought. She giggled.

"I'm fifteen and I'm holding hands with a boy."

"Not only that. With snotty Jackie Smith."

"I never called you that."

"Not to my face."

"It was that once. I didn't know you."

"Your mother told you she was putting me up. You didn't like that. You told your friends."

Sarah remembered. She turned around after making that remark and saw her mother. And Jack. She wrote about it in her diary. Until this moment she had thought he hadn't heard.

"Well, I'll tell them I held hands with you." Sarah smiled. "I'll show them."

"Really?" Jack's smirk said he didn't believe her. "Why?"

Sarah smirked at him. "With all that you've been criticizing me, you never let go." She was holding his hand with both of hers. "I do like you, Jack." A pause. "Friends?"

Jack put his other hand on hers. "Friends."

They moved their hands quickly as though pumping a well."One." They did it again. "Two." And again. "Three." And pulled their hands away quickly. "Break," They shouted together.

"Must be a powerful oath," a man said from the opposite side of where everyone was. To confuse matters more, everyone was gone.

"River said we'd catch up," Jack explained. "She said she knew what your look meant."

Sarah smiled, turning to meet the newest person. She was idly thinking that she would like to have River as a mentor. So forceful a personality so self assured. So like Sarah Jane, but even more worldly.

"Too young to get married," said a blond girl, maybe twenty, and dressed in almost nothing.

"Jack," she whispered, "You can see her legs. All of them."

"There's only two," Jack quipped.

"You're still looking."

"They're nice legs."

Sarah smacked his arm.

"Good for you, girl," the blond said. "Had half a mind to do it, myself." She turned to Jack. "Don't you know manners?"

"He's never been introduced," Sarah said cheekily, then blushed as the blond laughed. Even Jack gave a grin.

"Rose," the tall man said. He had large ears and close cropped hair, Sarah noted. His accent said he was from the North. The man smiled at them. "My guess is: your planet; your country; early twentieth century; Good clothes but cheap cloth . . . probably during the Great War." He flashed his teeth at Sarah. "How did I do?"

"London, 1916."

"You see, Rose. She won't even show her ankles in public for at least four years."

The blond, Rose, still smiling at Sarah, asked how long before she showed her knees. Sarah was trying to return the smile when the man said 'not until after the second war'. She knew about the first war. Finding out there would be a second one caused her smile to die.

"You're the Doctor," Jack said, filling the sudden quiet.

"Have we met?" the man answered.

"Um, yes. In a way."

Sarah understood what Jack meant. The two of them knew but they didn't. "You brought us here." She added, helpfully, "earlier."

"For you, that is," Jack added.

Explanations followed after the Doctor, out of curiosity, asked how much earlier. What was funny for Sarah was that the Doctor (who said he was the ninth) was doing the explaining and he was doing most of the explaining to Rose.

"Shall we go?" The Doctor asked. "Rose, would you like to see how I used to look."

To Sarah's surprise, they grabbed hands and began running. They stopped and looked back.

"Coming?" the Doctor asked.

Sarah glanced at Jack. His look said it was her choice. She held out her hand for him to take hold and they ran after the Doctor and Rose.

As they passed the next two bends, the side hallways were there. A Tardis sat at the end of each one. The next two also had side hallways. They ended in grey walls. As they passed the last one, Jack stopped. So did everyone else.

"You're thinking, Jack," Sarah insisted. "What is it?"

"The hallways. I think I've figured them out."

"Easy enough," the Doctor said. "The empty ones are the ones that haven't arrived yet."

"No," Jack insisted. "We passed some that had no hallways. I think those are the ones that haven't arrived."

Sarah was frowning. What Jack meant was obvious. That meant that the empty hallways were the ones that . . . something happened.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grinned. "Let's find out. That was good thinking, Jack." He led the way to the end of the corridor but this time everyone walked quietly, listening for any sounds from the group that should have been in front of them.

They turned sharply at the end of the corridor then after a few steps turned sharply the other way. That corridor also ended after a short walk. Sarah was staring. There was a metal statue there with glowing yellow/orange eyes.

The Doctor walked up to the statue and introduced himself. Sarah gasped as the statue answered him, welcoming him and pointing in one direction. It said that the forum was being held there. Rose then walked up and introduced herself, asking the metal statue if it had a name.

"Designation Greeting and Direction Protocol. This unit has been referred to by at least two of the Doctors' companions as 'Grady'. This unit is not sure if the term is pejorative."

"He thinks he's been insulted." The Doctor was grinning.

Rose almost laughed. "Naw, Grady. It's just easier to say. Humans do that all the time."

"This unit acknowledges the explanation. It is now necessary to direct the companions to the waiting longue." It pointed in the opposite direction. "Refreshments and entertainment are to be provided until the matter for which the Doctors have been brought here had reached a conclusion."

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

"It sounds fantastic. If it's not, you know where to find me."

Rose nodded. "Lead the way, Grady."

As they followed, Rose said the statue was commonly known as a robot. She also said she had no idea what was happening. This was a new situation for her, although she would like to have met one of the other Doctors. Sarah admitted that she had met four others. They were all different. They acted differently as well but not completely. It was as though they were brothers.

They were escorted through a doorway. Sarah liked the way the door automatically slid out of the way as they neared it. It was a wide area. Nothing was familiar except that it had furniture. There were picture frames of various sizes. The pictures on them were moving and changing. Some of the dozen or so people there were watching them. Some said hello and introduced themselves. What appeared to be food was on counters along the far wall. Luke was there opening a can. As she watched, he began to drink from it. Then he turned to look at the newcomers and smiled. She heard her name and looked to see Sarah Jane sitting off to one side. She was talking to River and the girl, Ace. When she began walking in their direction, all three smiled to welcome her.


	4. Entertainment Complex

**Chapter Four: Entertainment Complex**

Meeting new people was an adventure for Sarah. There was a Scotsman, an Amazon dressed in animal skins, a woman who admitted she was not from Earth. And there was Donna Noble. Sarah met Sarah Jane and admired her independence. She met River and admired her worldliness. She met Donna and . . . and . . . and . . . she had no idea what a temp was.

Sarah's first impression of Donna Noble was that she was talkative and bossy. The woman was going on about how they had no right to force everyone in here while something was going on. Her second impression was that the woman wasn't what she seemed. The bossiness seemed to be the way she presented herself. Her third impression was that the woman was bossy, but she also had a brain. This impression was made once they entered, when Donna immediately welcomed her to what she referred to as a holding cell. She excused herself, saying she was trying to find out what the others thought.

Sarah was both happy and sad that Donna walked away. It confused her that anyone could cause both feelings. Smiling to herself that she finally understood irony, she walked over to where Sarah Jane was. Jack had already wandered away to 'examine everything'.

River was commenting that the boy was coming over. Sarah cast a glance and saw she was referring to Luke. And Luke was walking across the spacious room. He had two of those cans, one in each hand. Sarah Jane was already assuring her that River had explained everything. There would be no sudden surprises. She was smirking as she said she was glad he was handsome.

Luke walked up and offered Sarah a drink, showing her how to open the can. Sarah thanked him, tried the drink and found it sweet and bitter, like lemonade with sugar. It then fell to her to make the introduction. Luke stared. The only word he could say was, "Mum?"

"Not yet. Not for another thirty years if I understand correctly." Sarah Jane gave a bemused smile. "Was I a good mother?"

Luke's smile was genuine. "You were the best. You taught me everything. How to clean my room. How to dress properly. How to save the world from alien invasion."

"I already have some experience with that." They hugged each other. "Then it's settled. Sit down and tell me all about yourself. Then, you can ask me anything you want." Her voice sounded motherly. "Anything you thought you would have all the time in the world to ask."

Sarah sat in a nearby chair. White cloth and very comfortable. Rose had wandered over and joined the group, curious about what she had overheard. Sarah admitted she was there for the same reason.

From the first, Sarah wanted to interrupt. Luke was saying how they lived in the Ealing part of London. She wanted to say she knew Ealing and ask what it was like in his time. She stopped herself though. This was time for Luke and Sarah Jane.

The urge became stronger when Sarah Jane said she knew the house on Bannerman Road. It was an old Tudor style house. For her, the house was owned by her Aunt Lavinia. Sarah was glad that she didn't interrupt. It was also her house, but she didn't know anyone by the name of Lavinia. She crossed her fingers, though. It would be wonderful to find out they were related.

Luke did cause Sarah Jane to cry when he described meeting her parents, through time travel, and how they died. That was when Luke asked about family. He always planned to. Now was his final chance. He wanted to know everything.

Sarah Jane began by telling him that her father was named after his father. Sarah was smiling. She had a brother, aged four, who was named Edward. He was the right age to be Sarah Jane's grandfather. Then the woman explained that she was named Sarah, after her grandfather's older sister, and Jane, his younger sister. She never knew what happened to the older sister, but the younger one met a sailor during the Second World War, married him and moved to Canada.

Sarah held a smile. She didn't care if anyone noticed. If she was correct, her mother would have at least one more child. And it would be a girl. Sarah Jane was now talking about her mother. That she lived long enough to see her grandson marry but died before her great granddaughter was born.

"As for her husband, his name was Arthur. He was the one who bought the house. He was in the army during the first war. I know he tried to enlist in London but they refused him. I don't know why." (Sarah did. She decided she would tell them later.) "So he went back to Grimsby where he grew up and enlisted there. That's how he ended up in the 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment." Her voice was matter of fact. She was talking history. "He was killed, along with most of the battalion, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme."

Sarah screamed.

She shrieked.

She was yelling the word, "NO" over and over.

Luke was holding her. All Sarah could do was hold on to him and cry.

Behind her, she could hear Sarah Jane, uttering the word with understanding, "Sarah?" Then she was hugging her from behind. She didn't know. She was telling the others the date they left from. July 2, 1916. The second day of the battle.

Luke was whispering to her, telling her she was with family. It was hard for him. It was history from the last century. But for her, it was yesterday. And he made a suggestion. They couldn't change history but that didn't mean they couldn't visit. The thought made Sarah smile through her tears. She would like that. A chance to tell her father all those things she always thought she'd have time to say. And a small hope. Maybe a chance to save him.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief that someone gave her. Then she looked up. Everyone was watching her. Jack was looking at Luke who still had his arm around her shoulder. She could feel her face going red. She didn't know why. She was explaining that Luke was her nephew. Her great grand nephew. She stepped away from Luke and Jack hugged her, saying he was sorry, he was so sorry.

Ace was looking at her, uncomfortable. She turned to the woman, Donna, who was standing next to her, and said, "I'm in. What do we do?"

"Ask how Sarah is," River stated.

Sarah forced a smile as she and Jack let go of each other. "I had a bad shock. But I also have a friend who has a time machine. I'm fine."

"It's a small hope," River was warning.

"But it's there," Sarah Jane noted. She and Sarah shared an honest smile. "We Smiths live on small hopes." She turned to Donna. "We're also hoping you know a way out of here."

Donna turned to River. "Do you have your sonic screwdriver?"

River's grin said yes. Sarah wanted to know what a sonic screwdriver was. Sarah Jane wanted to know how River managed to get her hands on one. Donna and River excused themselves and walked to the door. A small crowd followed. Luke was asking if they wanted to watch when an explosion was heard.

River was now walking up to them. She turned to Luke asking him if he was as smart as he claimed. She then held up a burnt piece of metal. What was left of a sonic screwdriver.

Sarah smiled. Inwardly, she felt a foolish sense of pride. They turned to a member of her family for help. She tried to pay attention to what happened. All she knew was that there was an American here who was a medical doctor and she was making sure Donna was fine.

Luke answered by saying he had no idea but he knew who to ask. He called K-9. The woman in the animal skins said it did not know him and would not answer. She then called for K-9. Sarah smiled in delight when she saw the canine robot come over from wherever it had been. Teela, as she introduced herself, told K-9 to listen to Luke.

"You're taking this well." Jack's tone said he was worried.

"We're in trouble, Jack. You know it. We're trapped here. I'll cry all you want when I have the chance." She held a hand to Jack's lips to keep him quiet. "Do you know what Sarah Jane did? She showed me that I wasn't foolish to hope. And it wasn't only to help me keep in control of myself. And she'll help, if she can. They all will." She had an honest smile. "It's because of the Doctor. All of him." They both smirked. "He inspires trust. He makes them want to help, anyway they can."

Jack was sharing her smile. "I know where this is leading. That is how you want to be. Well, That's how I want to be."

They walked over to the crowd around the door to hear K-9 explain that the door could not be opened. Sarah found a new word to ask about. Feedback. All she could understand was that the door could only be opened from the outside. The next thing she knew, Donna was walking toward the door insisting they would get someone to open it. She began banging on the door.

"OY, YOU. GET OVER HERE."

Sarah asked what she was doing. It was Ace, standing next to her, who said she was calling that Robot. Donna was banging on the door again. Sarah called out that his name was Grady.

Donna turned and acknowledged her. She turned back and banged on the door. "GRADY. WE NEED TO TALK."

The protocol robot came over and asked what the problem was. It then explained that the door could only be opened to let companions in or once the forum was complete. Donna then demanded to know how the forum was going. Grady admitted that the first Doctor had yet to appear.

"The Old Man?" Sarah Jane was frowning. "That should be impossible." She looked up to see a dozen faces expecting her to continue. "It's what River explained about the side corridors."

River informed the group that she was repeating what Jack had figured out. That made Jack the center of attention as he repeated what he had said in the main corridor. At his conclusion, Sarah Jane commented that she had seen a Tardis at the end of the appropriate side corridor.

"He could be hiding," a woman said. Jack told Sarah that her name was Peri.

"That could be, "Another woman said. She had an American accent. "But where?"

"Here!" Jack said with a smile.

"What?" Doctor Holloway asked. (Sarah thanked Ace for telling her. She then asked, "a real doctor?")

"They need a Doctor," Jack was saying. "We'll give them one."

"Brilliant, Jack. But who can we get to do it?"

Jack looked offended. Then haughty. "It was my idea." He paused to whisper something to Luke then walked up to the door. "GRADY."

The robot waited as Jack walked up to the door. Jack explained there was a problem. Since he came with the third Doctor, he assumed he should be considered a companion. Could he open the door?

Grady repeated his earlier limitations. Jack interrupted, claiming he was the Doctor. The robot objected. "The First Doctor is an old man. You are not an old man."

"I will be if we wait long enough." Jack was smiling. "Everyone knows that only the regenerations do not age."

("Really?" Sarah Jane said in a low voice. River, standing near her, said "Yes.")

Sarah turned back to the scene at the doorway. Grady's eyes were flashing between yellow/orange and green/blue. After what seemed longer than Sarah ever held her breath before, she was relieved when the robot said, "Acknowledged," and opened the door.

Sarah watched as Jack stepped into the doorway and stood there. Grady insisted he had to move so the door could close. The robot had positioned itself to block anyone else from leaving. Sarah turned her head as she heard a cracking noise. Jamie, the Scotsman, and the woman, Teela, had torn one of the moving pictures from the wall. Luke shouted, "NOW". The dog robot emitted a red light beam at Grady. Grady exploded as Jack jumped out of the doorway. The moving picture device crashed into the doorway, jamming it open. And she was the first one to jump out of the room, shouting Jack's name. He stood up. He said he was fine. He said, "Uhmph" as Sarah hugged him.

"I thought . . . Jack, I thought . . ."

"I'm fine."

Sarah released him, smiling when she saw how red his face was. Someone, a boy Luke's age, came up and said it was an excellent plan. Jack gave Adric his thanks for saying so.

"You learned everyone's names?"

Jack seemed surprised. "Yes, it makes sense to know who your friends are."

"Friends?"

The woman doctor came over and demanded, in her American accent, to know if he was hurt. Once he said no, she told Sarah that any friend of the Doctor was a friend. Half the people around her agreed. Then the American doctor asked what the plan was. Jack admitted he didn't have one. Rose said he sounded like a real Doctor. She then suggested that they visit the actual Doctors and find out what was going on.

Not that the Doctors were hard to find. While the area was fairly open, there was only one other door, similar to the one they had recently escaped from. As the group approached, with Luke, Teela and K-9 in the lead, red lights began to flash.

Holes appeared in the ceiling. Metal balls dropped out. One crashed to the floor only inches from Sarah. In an instant, a robot was standing up. She screamed. As the robot raised a sharp clawed hand to strike, someone pulled her backward. Suddenly, Jamie the Scotsman was in front of her, sword drawn and flashing forward to repel the attacking monster. He had barely finished yelling, "RUN, LASS", when Sarah decided to follow his advice. She turned, seeing River running to the corridor they had come from. She thought it was a good idea to follow.

River was fast, but Sarah was desperate. She managed to keep pace with the woman because she knew there was at least one robot chasing her. Down the hallway past one side corridor. Past the second. She saw River turn and run down the third. She followed as quickly as she could. She turned, seeing a Tardis in front of her, the door open. She also heard the metal feet behind her. The robot was getting closer. River came out of the Tardis. She had something in her hand. She yelled at Sarah to get down. Sarah let herself fall forward. A light flashed over her head. The robot behind her exploded. As she raised her head, a second flash passed over her. There was a second explosion.

"I knew I shouldn't have left this behind." River swung the strange weapon in her hand like an American cowboy six-gun. It ended up in a holster. "You ever fire a weapon, dear?"

Sarah was amazed. As River helped her stand she admitted she had fired a rifle on occasion. Only game birds. Father would take her hunting.

River politely ignored the pause as Sarah mentioned her father. She then said to follow and walked back into the Tardis.

Sarah stared as she entered. The other Tardis was large and functional. This was larger and ornate, a cacophony of colour. River disappeared up a stairwell and came back less than a minute later, a holster in her hands. In less time than Sarah thought possible, the holster was strapped on her and River was leading them out the door.

"Did you have any luck with the game birds?" River asked as they walked back.

"By my third summer with father, I knew I could come home with something. Shouldn't we be running?"

"Might run into something. Better to take our time to make sure we have the advantage. I don't know how smart these things are. We should just be thankful they don't shoot back." She added, as they approached the end of the corridor, "Take it out, dear, and be ready. And don't worry. There's no recoil, so aim and fire. These will be bigger and closer. That means they'll be easier to hit."

Sarah drew the strange pistol and held it forward. River pulled her hand up so that she was pointing the weapon toward the end of the corridor. Instinctively she turned sideways so that she had a line of sight. These machines may be larger than game birds, but the birds weren't trying to kill her.

River stepped out into the main corridor, facing the way they had come. She was firing. Suddenly, a robot appeared from behind. Sarah, not even waiting to think, moved her hand and fired. The robot exploded. In that moment, she did think. Robots were coming from both directions. She couldn't wait until they came into sight. In an act of bravery that would later surprise her, she stepped into the corridor with her back to River. A second later, she fired at another robot that was ten feet away and running at her.

There were perhaps a half dozen robots that she could see, but they were fairly spaced. Sarah understood that it was because they had come the longer way. She shouted so that River could hear, "HOW MANY ROUNDS?"

River laughed as she shouted back, "ABOUT 10,000." Sarah decided to do what River was doing. Constantly fire. And it worked. Each shot told her how close she was to her target so that the next shot was closer or hit. Once, she accidently hit one robot while aiming for another. Once those that she could see had been eliminated, she turned around to see how River was doing.

Dozens of robots lay in pieces all along the corridor. Two shots eliminated the last two. Sarah quickly glanced back to see her corridor was still clear, then turned back. River was smiling at her.

"That first shot was your best. I'm glad you didn't try to save it."

"I'm only grateful it was only one I needed," Sarah said. She put the pistol into the holster and turned toward the wall. She put a hand on it for support. After a few deep breaths, and constantly telling herself that the robots were not alive, she felt well enough to look up. "Do we hurry back, now?"

"Until we get close to the next bend. Keep your eyes on that side hallway."

Sarah nodded. The robots could try to swarm out. She had a weapon, but they had the numbers. River casually mentioned that they were not programmed to care.

They did approach slowly, but there was nothing. River said she wasn't surprised. They had a better chance at the end of the last hall. A sharp turn. A short corridor. Another sharp turn. And after that sharp turn, who knew what they would find. River wasn't smiling.

At the last side corridor, River shot a robot before it could jump out at her. She than shot a second one. Sarah was telling her to stop. River did, because she noticed it to. The robots had stopped moving. River said something about 'just in case' and destroyed the remaining robots. Then they continued on their way.

Empty. The short corridor was empty. As they neared the turn, Sarah spotted a robot. She raised her pistol. "This one isn't moving, either." River reminded her they needed to be careful. Sarah fired at close range to destroy it.

They walked carefully to the turn so they could look into the open area. Perhaps a dozen robots were there, still standing. And that was all they were doing. Metal pieces littered the floor.

"That was smart," River was saying. "They ran back into the waiting room and barricaded the door."

"But what stopped the robots?"

Luke's head appeared out of one of the holes in the ceiling. "We did." He dropped down. "Thanks to the two of you drawing most of them off. Must have been a hundred. They only left two dozen to guard us."

Adric appeared from another hole. "Once we eliminated half of them, it gave us the room to maneuver. We found their control center and disabled it."

Adric was smiling at her, looking at the pistol she was holding. "Are all Earth women like you?" he asked, meaning her and River.

Embarrassed, Sarah put it in the holster. "You're not from Earth?" she managed to ask.

Adric laughed. "I'm not human, if that's what you mean."

Sarah gave a small 'oh', and changed the subject by asking about Jack.

"Doctor Holloway is looking at him. He took quite a shock."

The other companions were now asking questions, mostly to Luke, mostly if they could expect any surprises. Sarah had her own question. What kind of shock?

"Electrical," Luke answered. "There was a barrier and he physically disarmed it."

"He grounded himself somehow," Adric added. "He was even laughing about it by the time I lowered him down to the doctor."

Sarah didn't wait to hear how Luke had disabled the central control by the time Adric returned. She was walking, as fast as she could through all the debris, until she reached the doorway. Jack and Doctor Holloway were walking toward her. They were the last two inside the room.

She jumped at Jack and hugged him. Then she let go of him and hit him in the chest. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU COULD HAVE DIED."

"Everyone could have died," Grace Holloway said. "Jack gave us the chance we needed to survive." She added, smiling, "Thanks to you, Annie Oakley."

"I . . ." Sarah paused. Both were grinning at her. Both were looking at the holster strapped to her waist.

"You saved River's life. Didn't you?"

Jack was smirking. It didn't take a genius to know she had used the pistol. She returned his smirk.

"Only after she saved mine . . . a few times." They were interrupted by a short series of explosions. Explosions that Sarah knew came from a laser pistol. "I think River has the door open."


	5. The Doctors

**Chapter Five: The Doctors**

To Sarah, it seemed appropriate that River would be waiting for her. She couldn't help but grin as her hand rested on the weapon the woman had given her. Except River was not smiling. And, while she was waiting, River was not waiting for her. Her gaze was centered on Jack.

"That was too easy," River said.

"Not for me," Jack answered with a small laugh.

"Killer Robots without firearms? A central control switch to turn them off? An electrical field with a ground nearby?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do."

The two were almost glaring at each other. And Jack, she could tell, was becoming nervous. Sarah decided to speak up.

"Jack may be lying, but I'm not. I don't know what you mean by all of this being easy."

Doctor Holloway suggested that River enlighten all of them. Sarah saw River give Grace a strange look and Grace nod in return. River smiled and apologized to Jack, saying she must be jumpy. "It must be the excitement and the fact that I'm paranoid." Her grin was infectious and Sarah found her lips curling as well. Then River added, to Jack, "something like that really gets the hearts beating."

Jack nodded. "I can still feel them," he added with a laugh.

"There," River said with triumph.

"What do you mean by 'there'?" Jack was still laughing. His tone became smug. "You already knew. Doctor Grace found out when she examined me. And my guess is the Doctor knows. He knew we weren't injured. He probably scanned us. And if he knows, that means that all his other regenerations know as well." He indicated their surroundings. The metal-strewn open area. The formerly luxurious waiting room. The room they were standing outside of. The one that contained multiple forms of the same person. "This is not a good place for keeping secrets."

"Secrets?" Sarah asked.

Jack turned to her in surprise. "That's right. You don't know." His face became sad. "And now I have to tell you."

Sarah knew she was staring. "You're . . . You're . . ."

"A runaway." Jack looked sheepish. " I ran away when I had the chance." He snorted. "And I was found by someone who had done exactly the same thing. Only, I think, a lot earlier."

She was still staring. "You're . . . not . . . human?"

"He's a Time Lord," River explained. Jack started to object until River asked him if he looked into Schism. When he nodded, River reminded him that was why he had the title. She turned to Sarah. "You're right. He isn't human. That's why the robot believed him when he claimed to be the Doctor. Its scan told it he was from Gallifrey"

"That . . . That does explain a lot about him," Sarah replied, trying to smile. "What I mean is: He's very smart but there are some things he should know but doesn't. Everyone knew he wasn't from London or nearby. We didn't know how far away he came from." She saw Jack was smiling. "You look so human."

"I do not look human," Jack said indignantly. "YOU look Time Lord."

As he grinned smugly, she turned away, saying, "I hate you."

River was laughing. "Time Lords do have that effect on people."

Grace was laughing as well. "And that explains why we solved the problem with the machines so easily." She was grinning. "Except you ran back to the Tardis, River Song. I know Sarah followed you, but you were the only one who thought to go back to the Tardis. That was why most of those killing machines went after you."

River nodded. "I was the bigger threat. And I know what you're asking. I'm the second part of the mystery. I'm not the Doctor's companion. I'm . . . Well . . . It's complicated."

"That's the truth," Grace Holloway laughed.

The Doctor appeared in the doorway, Sarah's Doctor. He smiled first at Sarah. "Did I choose my time correctly? I always like to interrupt at a convenient point in the conversation."

Sarah smiled as she put her hand on the Doctor's arm. "They were trying to convince me that all Time Lords are rude and annoying. I insisted they were wrong."

The Doctor complimented Jack for telling her, then thanked Sarah for her compliment, suggesting they should go in. She giggled at the way he patted her hand. That was why she liked him. The little things he thought to do.

Inside was not what she expected. A short hallway left them in a circular room. In the center was a raised dias. It had (she counted) thirteen rods arranged, with a space for one more. Each rod was topped with a round knob, making them look like thirteen walking sticks. They were spaced so that a man could stand on the dias in front of each one. And one person was standing there, his hand on the knob of the unmoving cane. He looked young and seemed rather annoyed with himself. The man was smiling and saying not to mind him.

Sarah couldn't help herself but she did as he said. As the Doctor led her forward, she saw that the wide walkway around the dias was lined with alcoves. In each alcove was a Tardis. When she commented, the Doctor assured her there was only one Tardis. It just happened to be in all thirteen alcoves.

The Doctor pointed out, not only to her but to the other late arrivals, that four of the alcoves had statues in front of them. Those were from the Doctors who had touch their respective controls. Sarah asked the obvious question. "Will the Doctor on the dias become a statue?"

"Not at all," The Doctor on the Dias answered. "I seem to be the exception. Either that or my statuification circuit is broken."

"Look at him." It was the Tenth Doctor, the one with the toothy grin. He was upset. "Look at him," he told Sarah as he stepped close. "He Has Ginger Hair." The Doctor pouted. "I wanted Ginger Hair."

"Saved the best for last, lad," the Dias Doctor said. "You have to live with it."

"I have Ginger hair," Jack called from behind her.

The Tenth Doctor sneered as the Dias Doctor told Jack he was a good man.

"At least you have hair," another Doctor said, "and these ears. My hearing is excellent but . . . you get the point."

Sarah was confused. And angry. "Ears? Hair? Four of you have been turned to stone and you're arguing about how each of you looks."

"Don't worry about it," the Third Doctor assured her. "Some of us haven't been as fortunate as others."

A man with a long scarf walked up and said, in a joking tone, that the man was a Dandy. Sarah put pride in her voice when she said he was. He was exactly as a Dandy should be.

"Earth, 1916," the Doctor in the bow tie said. "It was a compliment back then . . . for about three months."

The Doctor with the umbrella thumped it on the floor. He announced that since everyone was present that, because he was the middle one, he would do the exposition so that everyone would know what to do and maybe even know why. Sarah was distracted by Luke coming over. He said hello, then walked up to Jack. That made Sarah turn around. Luke was asking if it was true. Sarah assumed that IT was the fact that he was alien. Then he asked if Jack had one.

"EXCUSE ME," the Seventh Doctor said loudly. He was glaring at Jack and Luke. "Why are the two of you talking?"

"He's from Gallifrey," Luke said, trying to make it seem important.

"And he's a cloned composite." Jack's tone said it was obviously important.

"Cloned?" Sarah asked.

"It was the Bane," Luke began.

"The Bane are not part of this discussion," the Doctor insisted. "This is my big moment and you're ruining it." He paused. "Do you ask him yet if he has a Tardis?"

"I just did, Sir," Luke answered.

"Then hurry up and get your answer Then we can get all of this done with."

Luke asked his question again. Jack flashed a smile at Sarah as he said yes. He added, as a warning, that it didn't work very well. Luke offered his help if he wanted to try to fix it.

The conversation done, the Seventh Doctor began his explanation of events in the room. He first explained the side hallways. The ones with the Tardis in them were obvious. The ones that were only a corridor were where the Doctor touched their respective rod. (He noted that it was perfectly safe to touch any of the others.) The walls moved and the Tardis ended up in its alcove. The blank wall was where that Doctor had yet to arrive. All the Doctors having arrived, the Tardis was moved to all the alcoves by having seven doctors touch rods (not their own, of course).

Next came the explanation of the statues. This was done by the Last Doctor. His predicament made him a compulsory witness. "The Second Doctor was there when I arrived." That was all he said. He told how he walked up and casually examined the rods. "They look like walking sticks," he pointed out. When he touched the one in the first position widdershins, he found himself stuck.

"Widdershins?" It was the boy, Adric.

"Anti-clockwise," the Doctor answered. "And as for my previous regeneration, he walks in, says hello, walks up to his rod and puts his hand on it. I know I knew what I was doing but, for the life of me, I can't remember why. And I turned to see if anyone followed. And I missed it all."

"Number Six was next. He said there must be a purpose and ordered me to watch. And to hope he was doing the right thing. When he touched his rod, he froze. He was shining with an aura which faded as it forced him backward. When he stopped, he was a statue. The Eighth Doctor was an accident. He didn't even touch it with his hand. He brushed against it with his coat."

He paused to point with his hand at the Fifth Doctor. Sarah thought it looked like he had a piece of celery in his lapel. "He had the right of it. He touched his rod while everyone had their screwdrivers out, examining the event, trying to interfere with it to see what happened."

"And?" Sarah asked as everyone paused.

"I knew it would be her," the Doctor with the bow tie commented.

"We all knew," The Seventh Doctor replied. He smiled at Sarah. "We know how to reverse it. And this is where we need everyone to help. We need to have the Tardis touch it. At least seven times."

He went on to describe what had to be done. All that Sarah understood of the technical terms was that they had to run cable from inside each Tardis to its respective rod. Luke tried to help by explaining to her what the interdimensional dispersion circuit was but she begged him to stop. Then the Doctors called their companions to help.

Someone asked about the First Doctor.

"He's around," the Dandy Doctor assured everyone. "Probably watching us to see how we do. I wouldn't worry about him." He turned to Sarah Jane. "I'll have Adric and his friends help me. Why don't you and Luke tackle the first Tardis?" He smiled at Sarah. "I know a young couple who will help you."

Sarah Jane walked over to Luke and told him it was time to prove he was a genius. Luke smiled at the compliment but admitted that he knew what to do but he didn't know where anything was. Sarah saw the concern on their faces but smiled when Jack said he could figure it out. Every Tardis had everything in the same place, even if it didn't look the same. Luke nodded, then walked up to the first Tardis.

"It's locked." Luke then called out, "I need a key."

Grace Holloway called back. "There's one tucked behind the P."

"Boost me," Sarah told Luke. He gave her a leg up and she felt behind the lettering where it said 'POLICE BOX'. She called out, "It's not there."

The Seventh Doctor stuck his head out of the Tardis. "I was the one who started doing that. It won't be there for another six hundred years."

"Let me try," Jack said as he walked up to the police box. "This is how I managed to get into my Tardis." He knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home? Could I come in, please?" A click was heard. He pushed the door open then turned back to the others. "Sometimes all you have to do is be polite."

Once they were inside, Sarah Jane told Luke to follow her. If the Doctors were consistent, she would know where the cables were. They disappeared through the door. Jack smiled at Sarah. "Would you like to see inside?"

Sarah walked inside, in time to see Sarah Jane and Luke disappear through another door. The interior looked the same as the other Tardis she had been in except the room seemed smaller and the control panel in the middle of it seemed simpler to use. Jack was saying it must be the same model as the one he had.

"You sound proud."

"Perhaps I am. The Tardis, my Tardis is wonderful. It doesn't ever go where I want it, but . . . it's funny, that. Wherever I ended up, I was able to help people. I met a doctor, once. He was trying to find a cure for smallpox." Sarah laughed at the idea but he continued. "I became his errand boy. I was there when he infected a boy with a weaker form of the disease." He was beaming. "Sarah, I was there when humans discovered how to vaccinate against illnesses."

"But that happened more than a hundred years ago."

"And I was there. I saw what Doctor Jenner did. And he didn't do it for the fame. He did it because he wanted to help people." His voice became low. "That's what I wanted to become. Someone who helps people."

Sarah was smiling. She couldn't help herself. She knew his secret. And it was funny. It was funny because he didn't. "They call you the Old Man. You do know that?"

Jack's face became a mass of emotions. She could see him trying to understand. And Sarah Jane was there, with Luke. She had heard, enough to understand. She was telling Jack about the Tardis. She opened for Jack because she was his Tardis. Her grin matched Sarah's as she said, "or did you think they all became police boxes?"

"The chameleon circuit was broken," Jack said as he tried to explain.

Luke was also grinning. "Just tell us what to do, Old Man. We still have a puzzle to solve."

Jack nodded and went to the controls. He pressed a few buttons then pulled a switch. A panel slid open to reveal some kind of electrical plug. Jack grabbed the end of one of the cables and pushed it into the plug. Less than a minute later they were outside again, all the cables hooked up and the last one, with a clamp, was attached to the knob on top of the first rod, going clockwise.

Sarah jumped when she heard the noise. It sounded like metal hitting metal. She jumped again when the sparks began shooting out of all the rods, not only the ones with cables attached. And she ran to the Last Doctor when he was thrown from the dias.

"That definitely hurt," The Doctor told her. He turned his head at another noise and pointed.

The wall behind them, the fourteenth wall, had formed a crack and the two halves were sliding back. They revealed a corridor that led to darkness.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

A man knelt next to her. He had wavy brown hair and was dressed in a mid-nineteenth century style, including waistcoat and pocket watch. "It's the Valeyard."


	6. The Valeyard

**Chapter Six: the Valeyard**

"The Valeyard?" the Last Doctor asked. "That explains it. I'm incomplete."

It was the Eleventh Doctor who spoke up. "Okay, someone's going to ask the question. River? No, not you. You already know."

"Do I?" River asked.

The Eleventh Doctor paused. "You said you did?"

River smirked. "Do you think this is where I find out?"

"Right. Okay. Ummmm, Luke. You're smart. You can ask."

"And they called me a ninny," the Second Doctor muttered. "I should ask the question."

"But you know . . . Oh, right. I should ask the question. Well, Old Man?"

"What?" Jack asked

"Wrong question?"

The Sixth Doctor said, in an annoyed tone, "No. No. No. It is the right question. It just on the wrong subject."

"No," the Eighth Doctor said, his arm around Grace. "It's the right subject. He just needs more information. Either that, or he needs to analyze the information he already has." He looked at Jack. "You do know that we are all the same person. At different points in time."

The Third Doctor put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "We, Jack. And you are the youngest." He smiled as he glanced at the Eleventh Doctor. "What is the word your special other uses?"

"Spoilers," River answered reaching out for her Doctor's hand.

"We're your entire future, Jack," the Seventh Doctor said. "And so is the Valeyard."

"I have it," the Twelfth Doctor said. "He's Darth Vader to your Luke Skywalker. Except he's not Luke's father. He's his twin brother."

"What?" Jack asked again.

The Second Doctor raised his hand. "I was the first to see that movie. When they remade it into 3D."

Sarah had to giggle. Jamie, the Scotsman, was nodding his head at the memory.

"Jekyll and Hyde," the Fourth Doctor stated. "It was one of the first earth books I read."

"I read that, too," Jack said. He then paused.

"Jack?" Sarah asked, "What is it?"

He turned to her, a strange look on his face. "Sarah, he remembers me reading that book."

"But how can he re . . . " Sarah stopped. "Wait. You didn't read that book. I remember. You were in my room. I was showing you my library. All you did was flip through the pages. You didn't read any of those books."

"Yes, I did."

"You can read a book by flipping through the pages?" Surprise, awe and then anger swept through Sarah as Jack nodded his head. She hit him. Hard. "YOU READ MY DIARY."

"I didn't know what it was."

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER."

"Especially not the page with the heart," the Twelfth Doctor noted.

"WH . . . A . . . t?"

"Yes," the Seventh Doctor said joyfully, "the heart."

Sarah looked around. All the Doctors had grins. Her voice became small.

"what?"

"Sarah." Jack's voice sounded tense. She turned to look at him. He grabbed her arms and pulled her forward. His kissed her. On the lips. It was embarrassing, she thought. It was demeaning, she thought. And, once he let go, she thought, 'it was too short'.

"I . . . I just wanted . . . wanted to say . . ." he then rushed out, "thefeelingismutual."

Sarah was glancing at the Doctors. Jack said that their grins were probably from remembering.

She understood what Jack was coming to terms with. All the Doctors kept saying it. They were the same person. She had a flash of incite. She had known they were the same. Now, she also understood. Each of them was Jack. Each an older version of the one before. "How old are . . ." She couldn't think of who to ask.

"Oh, one hundred and fifty," the Second Doctor said.

"Four fifty," the Fourth Doctor noted.

"Nine hundred and seven," the Tenth Doctor answered with his toothy grin. They were all smiling at her.

"Jack?"

"Oh. I'm almost twenty. We don't age as fast as humans."

"That's not what I meant."

Suddenly, they were both laughing. She calmed herself with difficulty. "I wanted to ask if that means you're also this Valeyard."

Jack's eyes sharpened. He abruptly turned to the Twelfth Doctor. "Who is the Valeyard?"

"I'll tell you after the interruption. You see, I broke your memory lock. I'm also remembering this." He turned to the Last Doctor. "That's why I immediately had myself frozen. Otherwise, I might have mucked things up even more." The door to his Tardis opened. He smiled at Sarah. "You're going to love this."

A man stepped out, wearing a modern army uniform. Sarah recognized it. She recognized the markings. It was her father's battalion. She looked at the Twelfth Doctor. The man nodded his head.

The uniformed man asked if he was too early, and smiled when told it didn't matter. He looked at all the people now staring at him, grinning broadly when he spotted Sarah. He stuck his head inside the door and said she was here. The someone inside must have said something because the man said it didn't matter. He added that the Doctor said it didn't matter. Then he stepped out of the way. Still looking at the door, the man raised his hand and pointed.

Sarah was afraid. The fear that she might not have understood properly. Yet, the man was pointing at her. And another man stepped out of the Tardis. He was dressed in ordinary clothes. (Someone was saying this was fantastic.) The face looked older than she remembered. But she did remember him.

"FATHER."

All she knew was that everyone cleared a path for her as she ran into his arms. She kept repeating, "They told me . . . They told me . . ." without ever saying what they told her. He was hugging her, telling her that he knew. As for all the others, they could have been cheering or yelling at her or standing silently to watch. She had no idea. She finally raised her head and asked how.

"Stupid, really. The men in charge bodged the details. Sam and I were lying in a hole in the ground with a couple of others when the Tardis appeared. Man yelled to get in, that a shell was on its way. We heard the whizz and ran." He cupped her chin. "It's bigger on the inside, you know."

"I do," Sarah answered. The smile refused to leave her face.

"That was four years ago, daughter." He was not smiling. "I can't go home. Fixed points of time, or so I'm told. And so we traveled. And waited. For this moment."

"But if you can't go home, then . . ." Sarah stopped speaking as she remembered. Sarah Jane was named after her grandfather's older sister. The one who disappeared. "I can't go home, either?"

"Your mother knows. I was able to send her a message. I received a reply. She told me to take care of you. She'll miss you. She misses me. By the way, the holster goes well with that outfit."

He was hugging her again. She wasn't smiling. She had her father but she would never see the rest of her family again. She wasn't sad but she wasn't happy. She knew it would take time to come to terms with all of this. She also knew that she would have chosen this, if the choice was hers. Her father was alive.

"Is that why you let me stay?" It was the voice of Sarah Jane. Sarah knew who she was talking to. The expected voice replied, "I saw the resemblance at once. My curiosity demanded I find out who you were. I'm very proud of my curiosity."

Sarah looked at her brother's granddaughter. They shared a smile. Sarah Jane had the chance to meet her great-grandfather. Sarah Jane's eyes shifted to one side. She turned back to Sarah and gave a nod in that direction. Jack was walking toward them. Reluctantly. River was pushing him forward. As they came close, River commented that he never liked meeting the girl's parents.

Sarah reached out and grabbed Jack's hand, telling him it wasn't the end of the world. She then introduced her father. She started to introduce Jack but she stopped. A voice in the back of her head said she had been doing that a great many times.

"Jack, I don't know your name. Your real name, I mean." Jack looked at her. He was looking through her. He pulled on her arm, causing her to let go of her father and step toward him. He closed the remaining distance and whispered into her ear. She nodded.

"Father, this is Jack. For now." She smiled, her eyes glancing over the various Doctors. They knew what was whispered. That Jack couldn't tell her. And she knew that all their companions would think he did. "The things they must say about you."

It was the soldier who spoke. "I've heard it all. I liked what that schoolboy said. 'He's fire and rage."

"He's the Oncoming Storm," Rose added.

"He is the Reckoning," Teela said, "he is the Night."

"He's the Fountain of Hope." That was Grace.

"He is the storm at the heart of the sun." Adric was looking with pride at Jack when he said that.

"He is ancient and forever." Jamie noted.

"He burns at the center of time," River was saying, "and he can see the turn of the universe." She was smiling. "He copied that into his diary."

"You read my diary?" The Eleventh Doctor asked.

"I read that part, too," the soldier commented.

"He is humble and proud, all in one breath" Sarah Jane said.

"He's wonderful."

Sarah looked up as her father said those words.

"I've spent four years with him, Sarah. I know your young man very well. That is why I'm here." He was grinning at her. "You're not going to leave him. We both, no, we three know that. Even though you're only fifteen. And, you, young man. I will make sure you always treat my daughter properly or I will throw you out of your own Tardis. Understood."

"Yes, Sir," Jack answered. He was grinning again.

"THAT'S IT," The Sixth Doctor shouted with exclamation. "FIXED POINTS IN TIME. And no, Peri. I'm yelling for effect."

"Of course," the Third Doctor said, "Sarah Jane, your great-grandfather was a fixed point in time. He died. He died with his comrades."

"But he's here," Rose said, turning to the Ninth Doctor.

"And that created a fissure in time."

The Fourth Doctor was laughing. He turned to Sarah. "The result of saving your father was that I created the Valeyard. The fissure occurs at my last regeneration."

"My thoughts exactly," the Seventh Doctor said. "The fissure is the Valeyard. Except . . . I don't remember what happens next. I've remembered everything else."

"You weren't here," Jack said. His voice was different. "It's time for all of you to leave." He looked around. "Hmmm? Well, go on." His voice became stern. "And you won't remember. I'll make sure of that."

"He can do that?" River asked of her Doctor.

"Mental Block. It's child's play. Especially if you've read . . . uh, which I did when I was eighteen."

"Then you'll never know if he succeeds?"

"I will," the Last Doctor answered. "And the Old Man will. It hasn't happened yet for either of us."

"Good luck," the Twelfth Doctor said. He turned to the soldier, "Sam, any place in particular?"

"That place we left? The girl seemed interested in me."

They both laughed and entered their Tardis. They were the first to go.

The Second Doctor walked up to Sarah and wished her the best of luck. When Sarah asked if he knew what would happen to her, he smiled.

"I know when I think about it. It was part of my old life. And I won't tell you."

With that, he and Jamie went to their own Tardis. The Fourth Doctor handed her a small bag, saying it was a goodbye gift. She reached in and pulled out an unfamiliar confection. Her father whispered that they were called Peace Babies. He tried some when he was in London around 1938. They were very good. Sarah tried one and agreed.

Adric came up to say goodbye to Jack. "It isn't really goodbye though," he laughed. He turned and ran to the Tardis where the Fifth Doctor was waiting. The man flashed a grin, then followed Adric inside. Then they were gone.

Most goodbyes were swift. Donna and her Doctor waved goodbye, as did Grace and hers. The Sixth Doctor asked for a Jelly Baby. Just before he popped it into his mouth he mentioned that they changed the name in 1953.

At last it was down to the Dandy Doctor and the Bow Tie Doctor.

"Bow Ties are cool."

The other Doctor tugged at his orange bow tie. "I wouldn't say cool, but I agree with the sentiment. Good luck to you and your father, Sarah. And I promise to take good care of your niece."

Sarah Jane smiled and gave her a hug. She turned and grabbed Luke, giving him a hug as well. She told him he did a great job stopping the robots. Luke smiled and told her that his mother taught him how to do that. They were still smiling as they left.

"Do you have a plan?" River asked. "JACK. Do You Have A Plan?"

Jack was startled but smiled when the Doctor said she was always like that.

"You're not helping," she hissed.

The Doctor turned to Jack. "Just keep smiling and say yes."

Jack made his smile bigger and said, to River, "Yes, I do have a plan."

"Ooooh, how I hate the two of you."

"No, you don't," the Doctor said. He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's time to go." He called to Luke.

"Um," Luke said, and turned to Jack. "I know it's all a rush, but . . ." When Jack nodded, he turned to the Doctor. "Tell Clyde and Rani . . . and Sky . . ."

"I'll tell them," the Doctor said. With a smile that was a bit too large he said, "River."

Jack was smiling. Sarah couldn't help but join in. She also had to ask if they were married. Jack said he didn't know. The Last Doctor said it was complicated. "We kept meeting in the wrong order." He paused. "I assure you. It was, will be, more fun than it sounds."

There were only five left. Jack suggested to the elder Smith that he take his daughter and Luke into his Tardis. He would join them shortly. Sarah refused.

"I came with you all this way." She slapped the holster. "You might need help."

"I'm not leaving you alone with my daughter," Arthur Smith said with humor. "For your sake, not hers."

"I want to see what happens," Luke insisted. "Besides, the door's locked. Again."

"She likes to do that," Jack said. "She'll give me a key, eventually. Until then, just ask politely."

Sarah laughed. "You talk about the Tardis as though it was a real person."

"Yes. I do," Jack answered. He turned to the Last Doctor. "As I understand it, when you regenerated, you didn't become one Doctor. You became two. Two incomplete Doctors."

"So it appears," the Last Doctor agreed. "Do you understand what you have to do? And why it has to be you."

"I have to undo your regeneration. And I can do that because I haven't regenerated yet."

Sarah stared in surprise. Jack was smiling again. His 'I know and you don't' smile. But then he explained as the Doctor sat down on the dias and Jack put his hands on either side of the man's head.

The problem was not with undoing the regeneration. It wasn't actually complete. The problem was what to do with the material. It needed a bio-compatible form to keep it from dissipating. That was what Jack would do. He would reverse the effect of the regeneration, reducing the Last Doctor to, for lack of proper words, Doctor particles. Jack would absorb them until he could come in contact with the Valeyard. Then the regeneration would be completed. The good half and evil half would become the actual Thirteenth Doctor.

"Can you do that?" Sarah asked.

"We're about to find out," The Last Doctor said.

"I am so glad I stayed," Luke was saying. "The dynamic reconstruction will be . . . Um, sorry."

"He is busy," Arthur Smith said to Luke as he put his hand on the young man's shoulder.

Jack's hands were on the Doctor's temple and the man was becoming transparent while a golden dust seemed to come off his body.

Sarah frowned. Words that River had spoken came to her mind. She spoke them out loud before she realized it.

"It's too easy."

"What?" Jack said idly.

"All of this. Fighting the robots. Freeing the Doctors. Figuring out the solution. The Valeyard not even making an appearance now that the end has come. It's as though he's waiting."

As Jack lowered his head into the gold cloud that swarmed between his hands, Luke assured Sarah, "the Valeyard doesn't know what Jack is doing."

Jack jerked his head back out. "HE KNOWS WHAT I SHOULD DO." He turned his head up and looked at Luke. "I could use your help."


	7. Conclusion

A/N: This is it. The last chapter of my short story. All I ask is that you let me know how I did. I know I didn't have a lot of any one Doctor but I do hope I portrayed them properly. (And a last minute thought. Having Amy Pond come along for a Christmas Carol moment. The Eleventh Doctor does or says something annoying and Amy asks Jack, "Is this what you want to be when you grow up?")

**Chapter Seven: Conclusion**

Sarah stepped forward as Luke ran to Jack's other side. She saw that Jack was scared. He was rushing the explanation. "I don't need a bio-compatible form. I need one that's incompatible. If I absorb the regenerative material, it will stay with me until I do regenerate. The Valeyard will become the complete form. Luke, you were made. You can best hold in the regenerative essence until it can be released into the Valeyard."

"And how do I do that."

"Simply touch him. He'll . . . know . . . what I plan." Jack was looking at her. Sarah, could I ask a favour? A big favour."

Jack, the smirking Jack, the know-it-all Jack, wanted her help. His fate was in her hands. For some reason it did not scare her. It made her confident. And Luke was saying how brilliant Jack was to think around himself.

"What do I do?" she asked. She felt a foolish pride at how strong her voice sounded.

"Put your head close and take a deep breath."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked. She had to know. "You said Luke would be better at holding it in until it can be released."

"I know he would be the better choice," Jack assured her, "and so does the Valeyard.".

For one second, Sarah saw a different side of Jack. He wanted to stop the Valeyard, regardless of the cost. Even if the cost was her. She paused. And the thought came to her. From what little she knew about the Valeyard, if the man were to succeed in his plan then nothing else would matter. It was that thought that made her decide what to do.

Sarah leaned forward. She inhaled, but it didn't stop. It was as though she was inhaling the entire world. The feeling wouldn't end. And she understood. The memories helped her understand. She was taking in the essence of the Doctor. The Doctor at the end of his twelfth regeneration. When she stopped, she looked at Jack.

He is young. So young.

His entire life was in her head. She saw, through the Doctor's eyes, her father in the crater. Staring. Then running. River was there in her memories. And the loss of Rose. How the Doctor knew, all the while, standing in this room next to Donna. Yet he smiled and kept his pain a secret so that Rose would never know.

The Doctor leaving Grace. Him yelling at Tegan that there was nothing he could do. That Adric was dead. Sarah Jane was left behind. Jamie had all his memories erased. Sarah was holding her granddaughter.

"Sarah," Jack was telling her, "you need to concentrate. You need to find a way to hold the essence in place."

Her mind was swirling. But it was also the Doctor's mind. It was also Jack's mind after a millennium and more of life. But she couldn't stop herself. She saw herself. Standing there. The golden aura was covering her. She could see it slipping away. She was remembering this moment as it was occurring. And before.

Gallifrey. The alien beauty that surrounded her. But it held no joy. Only sadness. Alone in the midst of everything. She was walking along a path. She looked up. Into the Untempered Schism. She felt it. All of time and space. The movement of the planets and the stars. The orbits of every electron in her body. And she ran. In her mind, she ran.

She knew his name. She knew its meaning. She knew why he wouldn't tell her. And she knew that this was why he asked her. He knew she would keep his secret.

Voices were in her head. They were telling her that she was too different to hold them in place. They said they could help. They said they were helping. She was told to go toward the light.

Now, in her mind, she was running again. She understood, fully, that time was short. And so she ran. Toward one bright spot. Amidst all the sorrow that was his life, Jack had one bright spot. One glorious memory. It made everything else bearable. She reached that memory and looked.

It was Sarah. That first day. Her mother had warned her they were taking in a houseguest. And she was looking at him. She knew what she was thinking. She had crushes before. But not like this. It was as though she knew he was everything she could want. Now she was reliving that scene. Jack was looking at her. In a way so total and complete that Sarah could not have imagined it. She knew how Jack felt.

"Kismet."

Inside her head, the Dandy Doctor was nodding. That was how he knew.

Sarah and Jack spoke in unison.

"We can't touch each other."

"How is it?" Jack asked.

"You're wonderful, Jack."

"Thank you, but you know what I mean."

She smirked. He may be the first but she was twelve Doctors. "I know something you haven't thought of. I can't go into that room with you. I may have your memories but I'm not you." She paused. "Oh, that's right. You did think of that. Just before I said it."

"You need me to take you into the room. But I can't touch you."

Sarah smiled as she heard the sound of a Tardis returning. "You can, once you've regenerated. That's because . . ."

"I know," Jack said.

"Sorry to bother you," The Eleventh Doctor said as he exited his Tardis. "I suddenly remembered that River gave Sarah one of her pistols." He started by looking at Jack, then turned to Sarah as his words came out more slowly. "RIVER, you must come and see this. This must be what's locked in my head. That little corner that constantly yells at me not to notice it." He turned to Jack. "It isn't actually yelling, mind you. It's just annoyingly obvious once you do notice it."

River came out smiling. She looked stunned when she gazed at Sarah. "I can feel it. I can feel her."

"She's holding the essence of my last regeneration. I couldn't do it . . . Not me me, him me because I hadn't regenerated yet." The Doctor paused. "But you're still standing here?" Another pause. "What am I missing?"

Sarah was smiling. She knew what was coming. As the Doctor said, "YES", she had to laugh. He added, "Aww, you ruined my moment."

"She knows you too well, Sweetie," River was saying.

The Doctor was smiling. "She does. And since we all know why I'm here, shall we be going?" He held out his hand for Luke to take. He held his hand out for River. He smiled at Sarah. "I'll come back for you after I drop these two off."

Sarah returned the smile. "Thank you. I'd hate to miss seeing what happens to the Valeyard."

The three followed as Jack led them down the final corridor to the Valeyard's lair. At the last second, River told them to wait. She went back to Sarah and asked for the holster and pistol. She might need it. That done, she grabbed the Doctor's hand and they continued.

Arthur had to ask his daughter what was going on. She was smiling. "The Valeyard will be wary of Luke. And River is now armed. He'll know he must win, or die."

A telltale noise was heard as another Tardis reappeared. The Doctor and Donna came running out. The Doctor cringed when he saw Sarah. "We're too late. It's Luke. We can only hope for the best."

At Arthur's question, Donna explained. The Valeyard would expect it to be Luke he had to avoid. The odds would have been better if he had picked Sarah. She asked the Doctor to confirm what she said but he was staring "Doctor? Why are you smiling."

"Because I'm absolutely brilliant. I was clever enough to figure it out, after all." He stood up. "Time to go. Again. We do have a planet to find."

Donna grinned at Sarah and wished her luck with her version of the Doctor. Sarah couldn't help it. She had all those memories in her head. She grabbed and squeezed Donna's hand with both of hers. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"We should go," the Doctor said, trying to sound casual. "Earth's gone missing. Just wandered off. Probably hiding behind Jupiter, just for fun. Or something." He almost ran into the Tardis. Donna followed him. She had a similar nervous smile.

"Oh." It was the Eleventh Doctor. He was staring at the vanished Tardis. He casually/nervously pointed. "It's almost over."

"She marries," Sarah was saying. "She has children. She has a full life."

"Does she ever remember me?"

"No."

The Doctor gave a shrug as though to dismiss the matter, then held out his hands for Arthur and his daughter. "We should be going."

This was the climax.

Sarah was thinking this as she passed the barrier. The one that would have stopped her if she were not holding the Doctor's hand. The Doctor was commenting on how hard it was to resist taking in the regenerative essence. "It's like having a sugar craving and . . . no, it isn't like that. Forget about the sugar."

Then they were through the corridor and in a room. A blank room except for a desk. There was a man there. Ginger hair, like the Last Doctor. The same height. And smoother features. The face said you could trust him. The smile said he was lying.

River stood by the entrance, her pistol drawn. The Valeyard would not escape. Even if it meant his death.

The man had stood up. Jack and Luke were moving forward, going to different sides of the desk. Sarah stepped off to one side and approached slowly. She found the perfect spot. From there she could see all three. She was directly facing the Valeyard. River was hissing at her. She was getting into her line of sight.

"Who do you think you are, boy?" the Valeyard demanded of Jack. He laughed. "Do you think you have it in you to finish me off?"

"I'm not here to finish anything," Jack said with a sneer. "I'm just getting started."

"Good line," River commented.

As Luke and Jack neared the man from either side, the Valeyard did the obvious. He jumped onto the desk and over it. He ran toward Sarah, casting a glance back at Luke Sarah looked at him in surprise. Luke was running toward him. Jack close behind. It was then that the Valeyard made his mistake. He grabbed Sarah. His plan was to throw her at Luke. Luke would be pushed back into Jack. Had he guessed correctly that Luke was the carrier, the collision would have resulted in Jack absorbing the regenerative essence. A good plan. He knew this would happen. He knew it would be either Sarah or Luke. He guessed wrong because Luke was the one who approached him.

And so he grabbed Sarah. The golden aura left her body at once. She was rushing forward but not crashing into Luke. Luke caught her. He asked if she was hurt, then had her turn around. Sarah knew what she would see. She no longer had the Doctor's memories but she did remember what she had seen in his thoughts.

The Valeyard was regenerating. Not as himself nor as the Last Doctor. He would be whole. Complete.

He vanished.

"What . . ." Sarah began to ask.

"He's gone back, or forward," the Doctor was saying, "to the point of his actual regeneration."

"That was too easy," River was saying.

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "Had he guessed correctly, it would still have been easy, but not for us."

There was a low vibration that could easily felt.

"And now," The Doctor said in an excited voice, "we should run." The vibration was increasing. "Very fast, I think. This place won't exist for much longer, now that the Valeyard isn't here to keep it up."

They all ran. Almost. Sarah was nearly to the corridor when she started to faint. The effort of what she had done had decided to make itself felt. Jack was on one side, Luke on the other, picking her up and carrying her forward.

Everything was shaking. And fading. She would have thought it more normal if the ceiling fell in, instead. It was as though the entire place was shaking itself loose into its individual atoms.

Father was there, holding the door to the Tardis open. She heard the Doctor yell good luck to Luke as he and River disappeared into their own Tardis. A moment later, Sarah was inside Jack's Tardis.

* * *

><p>She was in a chair. Luke was holding her hand. Father was holding out a cup of tea. The fourth member of the party was at the controls. Luke was asking him a question. About the others. Would they remember? After all, his mother didn't know him when she first found him.<p>

Jack said it would be a vague memory if anything. Sarah Jane would only have remembered if she were in the Tardis when it left the first time.

"This time?" Luke asked and Jack nodded. He smiled. "It will be a vague memory. She'll remember she likes the name, Luke."

Sarah was thinking about the recent events. How close it had been. Had she held the regenerative essence much longer, she would never have been able to let it go. Jack had said she was incompatible. The essence had been making her compatible. It was changing her. It did change her. She was not a Time Lord, but she was no longer completely human. That was why she fainted. The physical shock as her hearts began to beat.

Jack turned to her, smiling when he saw she was smiling at him. "Do you still think it was easy?"

"It was desperation," Sarah said. "He tried other tricks against you. He even put you on trial." She sighed at the memories of memories. "He was running out of time. He threw all his remaining eggs in one basket. That's what made it seem easy."

Arthur Smith was nodding his head. "It was one of the possibilities. The Doctor, my Doctor, told me that the Valeyard had several ploys at work. Had most of the Doctors become statues. Had Jack taken in the essence. Had I been the only one who was rescued. Had he guessed that it was Sarah he shouldn't touch. Any of these could have been the catalyst. We were very lucky."

The tea was finished. And the explanations. And Sarah had a question she wanted to ask. Except she couldn't ask Jack. She couldn't ever ask Jack anything, again.

"Where are we going, Doctor?"

"We're . . ." he paused. His smile held. "I don't know. She'll tell me where we are once we get there."

Father set his hand on her shoulder. "I was warned about that. The controls will be repaired eventually, but I don't think it will make much of a difference."

"Then, it's official?" Luke was asking, "I'm . . ."

The Doctor finished the sentence, ". . . welcome to stay as long as you want to put up with us."

Sarah saw it in their faces. And in her memories. The two best friends would spend years together. They would never fix the directional controls completely. Or the chamaeleon circuit. And, in deference to River, she would never tell them about the parking brake.


End file.
